Best budget LS cam

Price reality: most name-brand LS cams sell for about $390–410 (BTR's line in 2026), and a stock-replacement GM cam (e.g., the LS3 cam 12623063) runs about $230. The camshaft is only part of the budget:

• Springs: most performance cams need upgraded valve springs. The cheapest path is an NSR (no springs required) cam such as the BTR Truck Norris NSR (212/22X°, .498 lift, 107 LSA), which keeps stock springs.
• Install parts: timing cover gasket and balancer bolt at minimum. Speedway's 400 hp 5.3 recipe is a BTR Truck Norris plus BTR springs, a GM balancer bolt and a Fel-Pro timing cover set.
• Gen IV AFM engines: add an AFM delete (lifters, trays, valley cover) before any cam change.
• Tuning: any cam needs a tune.

For a junkyard 5.3 or 6.0 truck engine, a truck cam (or its NSR version) gives the most power per dollar while keeping drivability and the stock converter.